A Very Dragon Christmas
by StBridget
Summary: Danny introduces his family to the joys of a New Jersey Christmas. AU Dragon verse.
1. Snow Dragon

**Hawaii Five-0 is property of CBS and its creators.  
**

"This is what Christmas should look like," Danny Williams proclaimed, waving his arms expansively, encompassing the snow-covered family where he was standing with his husband, partner, and soulmate, Steve McGarrett, and their children Matt and Steffie. "It should have snow and evergreens, not 80 degrees and pineapples."

"It's cold," four-year-old Matt whined.

Danny scowled. "It's supposed to be. It's _winter_."

"I don't like it," Matt complained.

"Heresy," Danny muttered. "Not wanting a white Christmas."

Steve laughed. "They live in Hawaii, Danny. They've never seen snow before. What did you expect?"

"I'll just have to show you all the joys of snow," Danny proclaimed. "We'll start by building a snowman." He set Steffie's carrier down (she was only a month old, not nearly old enough to appreciate snow, but Danny had insisted on bringing her along anyway, to show her "a real Jersey Christmas snow.") Danny started rolling snow. "Here, Matt, like this."

Matt moved to Danny's side and dubiously put his hands on the ball Danny had started. "That's it," Danny encouraged. "Just like that."

Matt pushed the ball of snow along the ground, tentatively at first, then gaining speed. "This is fun!"

Danny beamed. "I told you so!"

"How big do I make it, Danno?" Matt asked.

"Big," Danny said. "Bigger than you!"

"Alright!" Matt said excitedly. He kept rolling, Danny helping when it got too big for him to push by himself. Soon they had a ball as big as Matt.

"Perfect," Danny declared. "Now we do another one, slightly smaller."

The two of them started on the second ball. Steve looked on, snapping pictures and smiling indulgently. Danny looked over. "You have to help, too."

"I am helping," Steve said. "I'm watching Steffie."

Danny looked over at their daughter. She had shifted into dragon form and was resting her paws on the edge of the carrier, bright blue eyes watching intently. "C'mon, Steffie, you can play, too," he encouraged.

Steffie tentatively extended a leg over the edge of the carrier towards the snow. She overbalanced and tumbled out, landing with all for legs in the air and mewling piteously. Steve set her on her feet. "There you go."

Steffie raised a paw disdainfully and shook off the wet snow. She put it down again, then raised it, clearly not happy. She spotted Steve and toddled unsteadily toward him, stopping every step to shake her paw. When she reached Steve, she crawled up his leg and nestled in his arms. Steve laughed. "I don't think she's impressed."

"Hawaii's made her soft. She's got Jersey blood—she needs to know snow," Danny insisted. He took her from Steve and put her down again. She twisted in his grasp and wrenched herself free, clamboring up his torso and perching on his shoulders like a cat.

"I don't think you're going to convince her, Danno," Steve said between chuckles.

"Let me try," Matt said. He addressed his sister. "You can help me," he said. He pushed at the ball he was rolling. "Look, it's fun."

Steffie craned her neck from her perch on Danny's shoulders, looking interested.

"You have to come down here," Matt coaxed.

Steffie's curiosity got the best of her, and she hopped off Danny's shoulder. Intent on getting to Matt, she didn't seem to notice the cold snow. When she reached him, she chirped inquiringly.

Matt shoved at the ball. "Like this."

Steffie reached up a paw and pushed at the snowball. "That's it," Matt encouraged. Steffie pushed again, and the ball obediently rolled forward.

"That's good," Danny declared after a bit. "Matt, help me put it on the first one." The two of them lifted it and put it in place. "Now, one more, smaller still."

"Okay." Matt went to roll a ball. Danny stopped him. "Let Steffie do this one."

Steffie pawed at the snow. She was unsteady and had issues with fine motor control, but she did manage to get a ball going. Matt held back for a bit, but couldn't resist helping her. The two of them worked together until Danny declared the ball an appropriate size. "Now we put it on top as the head."

Matt stood on tiptoe, trying to reach. "It's too tall, Danno."

"Good thing we have someone tall enough to put it on," Danny said. He motioned to Steve. "Come here, you gargantuan goof."

Steve came over obediently and put the last ball in place. "Aren't you glad you keep me around."

Danny gave him a peck. "Absolutely." He returned to the task at hand. "We need something for eyes and a nose and a mouth."

"Good thing we came prepared." Steve fished in the tote bag they'd brought and pulled out some shiny stones, a carrot, and a length of yarn. "I suppose you want me to put them in place."

Danny gave him a "duh" look. Steve placed the items with instructions from Matt and Danny until they deemed it perfect. Then Steve dug out an extra hat and scarf they'd brought and wrapped them around the snowman.

"Excellent," Danny declared. He snapped a picture. He looked around. "Where's Steffie?"

Steve surveyed the scene, starting to panic when he didn't see his daughter. Then he caught a flash of gold. "Over there."

Steffie had gotten bored and, apparently over her dislike of snow, had set to building a snow cave. She was curled up inside, watching. Danny snapped another picture. "She should be fine there. Just keep an eye on her, Steve."

Steve agreed. Matt tugged impatiently at Danny's sleeve. "What now?"

"How about a snowball fight?" Danny suggested.

Matt considered that, then shook his head. "Can I shift?"

"Sure," Danny said. "How about you shift, and I'll throw snowballs at you?"

Matt frowned. "That doesn't sound like much fun."

"Sure it is," Danny said. "I bet you can dodge them all."

"Okay!"

Matt shifted and took off, Danny pelting him with snowballs. Matt was pretty good at dodging, even with as much target area as the dragon presented. Steve watched them for a bit, then turned his attention to Steffie.

The golden dragon had decided to expand her cave into a tube. She clawed out the rear wall and stuck her head out, snout protruding from one end, tail from the other. Steve laughed and snapped yet another picture, then helped her expand it.

The four of them played for a while, until Danny decided they'd had enough. "Okay, let's go inside before we turn into icicles."

 _But Danno, I'm having fun,_ Matt protested.

"You can come back out later," Danny promised. "But I bet Grandma has hot chocolate waiting."

 _With marshmallows?_

"With marshmallows," Danny confirmed. "But only if you come in."

 _Okay._

They gathered their stuff and headed back to the house. "See?" Danny said. "Snow isn't so bad after all."

Everyone agreed.


	2. Dragon's First Christmas

"What's this one?" Danny reached for a huge box under the tree.

His mother stopped him. "That's for Steffie."

"So, why can't I open it?" Danny demanded. "She's too little."

"I don't know, Danno, she can do some pretty good damage with those claws. Look." Steve pointed to where Steffie, in dragon form, was cavorting in a pile of wrapping paper, happily shredding it with her claws. Matt, in human form, seemed to being having just as much fun, eagerly helping her.

"Yes, Daniel," his mother said. "She can open it just fine. Let her do it."

"You're being ridiculous." Danny tore open the paper, only slightly more neatly than Steffie would do it, in Steve's opinion. He ripped open the box and frowned. "It's empty."

Clara sighed. "Yes, Daniel, it's empty."

Danny was confused. "You got your granddaughter an empty box?"

"It's for her to play in," Eddie said. He picked it up and brought it to the baby dragon, tilting it on its side. Steffie left off tearing the wrapping paper and looked at the box with interest. She sniffed it all over, then stuck her nose in it. She pushed it with a paw, tilting it upright again, and stretched up until her paws reached the top, peering in. She tumbled forward into the box with a squawk.

Danny moved to help her, but she righted her self and poked her head out, chirping happily.

"See?" Eddie said. "She loves it."

Danny seemed to accept that and reached for another box with Steffie's name. "How about this one?"

"It's empty, too," Clara said. "They're all empty."

Danny scowled. "Didn't you get her any real presents?"

"We got her all kinds of things when she was born last month," Clara said. "We didn't really see the point in getting any more."

Danny had to concede the point. Still. . ."It's the principle of the thing," he insisted.

"She seems perfectly happy," Steve pointed out. It was true. Eddie had given Steffie a smaller box, and she was tearing it open, somehow managing not to shred the box in the process. She ripped off the paper, then ran her claw along the seam in the top. Danny had to admit she had really good hand-eye coordination for someone so young, and she was smart to figure out where to open it. Once it was open, she attempted to squeeze herself into it, turning around like a cat until she was comfortable.

"Okay, fine," Danny said. "So, what did you get me?"

"Daniel, you're as bad as Matt," Clara scolded. "This is about them, not about you."

"Yeah, Danny," Steve said. "And besides, it's not like you don't have a dozen presents for each of them waiting at home."

"Yeah, yeah, okay, I admit it," Danny said. "Still, don't I get something?"

"Actually, we did get something for you and Steve." Clara handed Danny a flat package. He felt it and shook it, trying to figure out what it was.

"Danny, just open it already," Steve said, exasperated.

"Impatient much?"

"You were the one asking for it," Steve pointed out.

"Fine, I'm opening it. Are you happy?" He opened the package to reveal a photo album. It was pink and had a cut-out on the front for a picture. In it, was a picture of Steffie as a new born in human form.

"Look inside," Eddie said.

Danny flipped through it. "It's all pictures of Steffie."

"We figured you'd want an album to watch her grow, just like we gave you for Grace and Matt."

"I was hoping for something more just for me," Danny pouted.

Steve laughed. "Picky aren't you? Don't pretend you don't love it."

"Yeah," Danny admitted. "Yeah, I do."

"Then, everybody's happy," Steve declared. "Merry Christmas, everyone."

"Merry Christmas!" they all echoed.

A very merry Christmas indeed.


End file.
